We are both happy and sad about the recent retirement news from Barry Simon, longtime president of Datamax Inc. of Arkansas. Barry and I have known each other for close to 30 years. It has been an enduring friendship, and I’ll miss not seeing him at industry events and dealer meetings.
On January 6, 2026, Datamax’s Simon posted on LinkedIn:
As I reflect on 45 years with this company, I’m grateful for the people, relationships, and shared purpose that have defined this journey and now lead me into retirement.
The people at Datamax have always been the heart of this company, and I’m thankful for their commitment to doing things the right way and their role in shaping a truly special work culture.
Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor Steven J. Sumner and watch his leadership develop over time. I have the utmost confidence in Steven as he steps into the role of president and continues to lead with the values that have guided us for decades.
I’m also thankful for the business and personal relationships built beyond our walls, including meaningful work and friendships through the Copier Dealers Association and many other industry organizations that have shaped my career. To all manufacturers who I consider partners, I want to thank you for your support of myself and the company. With that, I’d like to also thank Mike Riordan, Andy Slawetsky, Mike Stramaglio, Frank Cannata, Bob Goldberg, and many more for their support and insight. I’m especially proud of all the nonprofit organizations that I’ve been a part of over the years.
As I’ve said often and continue to believe with certainty: the best is yet to be.
At our 40th Anniversary Awards & Charities Gala in mid-November 2025, Barry Simon presented the “Best Female Executive” Frank Award to Konica Minolta’s Laura Blackmer.
On behalf of The Cannata Report, I was delighted to interview Barry earlier this week:
When you started at A.B. Dick Products in 1981, what were your major concerns and how did you manage those challenges?
Simon: When I came into A.B. Dick Products, which later became Datamax, I really did not know what to expect. My background was in the office supplies business, so one of my biggest challenges was being introduced to a lot of equipment I did not know very well. Dick Callier, who was the vice president of sales at the time, brought me in, and we started where I was most comfortable: supplies. From there, we gradually moved into equipment sales, which included mimeographs, spirit duplicators, and machines called Scriptomatics that printed directly onto envelopes. It was on me to really learn that other side of the business.
Dick and I spent a lot of time together after hours talking through what we were doing and how we could improve our sales process. We would go out and make calls ourselves to see what worked and what did not. That level of collaboration pushed both of us, and it made our teams stronger.
At the time, we were selling a lot of office supplies, especially paper, and we genuinely had fun with it. I remember walking into a customer’s office one day and using something I had learned from “Mr. Wizard.” I showed him how you could cut a sheet of paper big enough to walk through. I told him, “If I can cut this paper big enough to walk through, will you buy from me?” He said there was no way. I did it, walked through the paper, and he bought it from me.
I have always believed strongly in learning new things. IBM was the dominant name in typewriters then, with the Selectric. We had to present directly to IBM just to be able to sell their typewriters. When fax machines first came out, no one bought them because no one understood what they were. You need someone else with a fax machine just to make it useful.
In those early days, success came from working together. It was not just sales but partnering closely with our service teams. Whether we were figuring out how to position a Canon typewriter as the future of word processing, or selling one of the first duplexing machines, even if it only ran 10 copies before needing service, it was always a team effort.
When you joined the world of copier dealers, the industry was dominated by typewriter dealers and their NOMDA (National Office Machine Dealers Association) organization. Were their annual meetings helpful in learning more about business?
Simon: Yes, it was dominated by typewriters, and at A.B. Dick we also sold offset presses, spirit duplicators, and mimeographs. Attending NOMDA meetings was always helpful. It always taught me new things that others in our industry were doing, ways we could better ourselves; and you came back and you instituted some of those things at your company.
Fast-forward to today’s business environment: In 2026 the copier industry is in decline (at least in the use of copiers in the office). Last year the major concern expressed is the need for copier dealers to become more diverse to restore their degree of profitability. Did you concur with that opinion and, if so, how did you go about addressing it?
Simon: Some people say the copier industry is declining. We always looked at it like: We must go in and get first-time accounts. Additionally, even though some customers are printing less, we had to gain other opportunities inside of those accounts. Those clients already liked us, they felt comfortable doing business with us, so it was finding new avenues to support their business technology.
What is your best advice to dealers in terms of dealing with the current environment. Where should they place their emphasis on the business? Is it IT, managed print services, production printing, or some other areas?
Simon: You need to diversify. Also, always remember what your ‘why’ is. Do not ever do anything that you are not prepared to be the absolute best at. What dealers should be looking at is first-time accounts. Additionally, in marketing other areas, look where you can gain strategic acquisitions. What I mean by ‘strategic’ is finding someplace where their culture matches your culture. Find companies that care about their employees and care about their customers.
They should be looking at IT, managed services, VoIP, cybersecurity. Production print is another huge area where large volumes exist and, certainly in hospital environments, we have seen the need for label printing. Most importantly right now, customers are asking us about AI. We better know how to use it, know what the pluses and minuses are and, even internally, how do we use it in the best fashion? It is coming on strong.
Do dealers need to adapt their historic business model of recurring revenue, or can they still rely on this as their major focus?
Simon: I believe we should always look at recurring revenue, whether that’s aftermarket sales, managed services, or cybersecurity consulting. We do not want to get away from that. I do not believe we are at our best just selling something and not having some form of services that follow that initial transaction.
Frank’s Well Wishes
Many thanks, my friend, and we will certainly miss you. Enjoy your retirement to its fullest and occasionally reach out to us and let us know how you are doing!
